Sengoku Musume
by Akiyotame
Summary: The wealthy Minami family had kept their daughter hidden away from society to protect her and use her as a trump card in case of emergency. After being pressured by the Hoshizora and Koizumi family, they seek protection from the Kousaka family. They offer Kotori in exchange for protection under the guise of an arranged marriage.
1. Chapter 1

A woman sat alone in the middle of her room. There wasn't much for her to do, she had been hidden away from society ever since her birth. Her parents claim that it is for her own safety, but a piece of paper that laid next to her hand would shake everything apart.

Minami Kotori was the secret daughter of the Minami family. The family decided to keep their daughter a secret not only to protect her, but to also use her as a trump card whenever they needed her. She was beautiful, her hair was luscious and her eyes were enough to get any man or woman to fall in love with her.

However, this is the Sengoku period. If anyone were to find out that the Minami family was harboring such a beautiful woman, the surrounding areas would attack and destroy their castle. The Minami family wasn't at all powerful, they were average at best in the art of war. Their focus was more on trade and the Minami family was one of the more wealthier families during the war.

However, due to the pressure from the Koizumi and Hoshizora family, the Minami's seeked out help from the Kousaka family.

The Kousaka's were willing to help the Minami's but they wanted something in return for the protection they would offer. They wanted a majority of the wealth that the Minami family had to provide for their army.

Of course, the Minami's were reluctant to give away all that they worked for, but they had Kotori, their trump card. When the two families met at a negotiation meeting, they introduced their daughters.

The Kousaka family took a liking to Kotori. She looked to be the perfect wife for a family such as theirs. The Minami family also took a liking to the Kousaka princess, Honoka. She was young, pretty, and had a personality and ambition that matched her name.

After the paperwork and negotiations were done, there was one last thing that must be done. As a part of their commitment to each other, Kotori and Honoka must share one night together otherwise the agreement would crumble.

Kotori was reluctant to do it, but her parents had convinced her that this was her destiny and the only way she could save the family.

Now she sits alone in her room with a letter that gave her a notice of Honoka's visit for the night. As a sign of dominance, the Kousaka family insisted that Honoka be the one to enter the Minami castle instead of having Kotori come to theirs.

"Kotori-sama..." a low voice called out.

"Hmm?" she turned around to see a woman with midnight blue hair appear from the shadows, "Oh, Umi-chan, what are you doing here?"

Umi knelt on one knee and kept her head down, "I'm here to watch over you, your mother insisted."

The corners of Kotori's mouth formed a small smile and she crawled over to Umi, "You don't have to be so formal with me, Umi-chan," she lifted her chin so their eyes could meet.

Umi avoided eye contact, "Kotori-sama, I'm not worthy enough to do that."

"Umi-chan, you're always so stubborn," Kotori pouted.

"I'm sorry Kotori-sama, but there are lines that I can't cross," she responded.

Kotori let out a deep sigh and moved back to her seat, "... I don't want to get married..."

"It's for the family, Kotori-sama," Umi responded.

"But... I don't even know who she is."

"Kousaka Honoka, princess of the Kousaka family, one of the strongest military families around," Umi cleared her throat, "With all due respect, Kotori-sama, but their protection is what we need to keep the Koizumi and Hoshizora family at bay."

"Can't you just assassinate them for us, Umi-chan?" Kotori asked.

"I'm afraid it is not that easy, Kotori-sama..."

"But... you're the last kunoichi of the Sonoda Clan, I thought the Sonoda's were legendary assassins..."

Umi let a sigh escape her lips, "I cannot kill unless I am ordered to by my master."

"I am your master."

"Yes you are, but your mother and father are the ones I must obey," Umi retaliated.

A knock on the sliding door filled the room and Umi quickly and effortlessly disappeared into the shadows once again, "Kotori-sama? Honoka-sama has arrived."

"Please come in!"

The sliding door opened and a servant gestured the ginger haired woman to walk inside. Once she stepped past the doorway, the sliding door slid shut and the two princesses were alone together.

"You have a nice castle," Honoka muttered.

"Thank you very much, Honoka-sama," Kotori bowed.

Honoka made her way over and sat next to Kotori, "You can drop the -sama, we're married now, Kotori-chan."

Kotori blushed lightly and twiddled her fingers, "Okay then... Honoka-chan..."

"So... this one night together thing..." Honoka said softly.

Kotori laughed awkwardly, "Y-Yeah, it's a bit strange isn't it?"

She suddenly felt herself get pushed to the ground and something pulling on her obi. The strength of the pull caused her to slightly lift off the ground and roll onto her stomach, "H-Honoka-chan?!"

She said nothing in response and this sent signals of fear through Kotori's heart. Her kimono was torn open and she looked up to see Honoka with hungry eyes. She was completely different from when she saw her at the negotiation, she was scary.

"H-Honoka-chan, what're you doing?!" Kotori attempted to cover herself up but Honoka pinned her arms down.

"This is what they meant by sharing one night together," Honoka answered, "I'm making you mine."

"N-No wait!"

* * *

Kotori stared blankly at the wall. She laid curled up into a ball covered by her ripped kimono. Her eyes were blank and her eyes were red from the amount of tears she cried.

She felt herself getting pulled to face Honoka again, "I'm not satisfied yet, Kotori-chan..."

"N...no..." Kotori said weakly. Honoka jumped on top of Kotori and continued for forcefully assault Kotori against her will.

Before she knew it, Kotori had passed out.

Kotori woke up late the next morning. Her eyes stung from all of the tears last night and her body was sore. It was hard for her to move and she laid on the floor with her kimono covering her naked body. Honoka was nowhere to be seen, "U-Umi-chan... are you... there...?" Kotori's voice was dry.

On command, Umi appeared from the shadows and knelt with her head down, "What is it, Kotori-sama...?"

"Come closer..." she begged.

Umi did as Kotori ordered and crawled closer, Kotori used all of her strength to jump up and wrap her arms around Umi. She cried into the kunoichi's shoulder and hugged her tightly, "Why didn't you stop her?!"

Umi wore a pained expression and pat the crying princess's head, "I'm sorry, Kotori-sama... But your mother orde-"

"WHY DIDN'T YOU GO AGAINST HER ORDERS?!" Kotori screamed at the top of her lungs which frightened Umi slightly.

"...I... I wanted to but..."

"I'll never have my innocence back..." Kotori cried into Umi's shoulder some more. She remained silent and let her princess cry until she calmed down.

"Umi-chan..."

"What is it, Kotori-sama?"

"... Will you kiss me?"

"Ehh?! K-Kotori-sama! There's no way I can do that!" for the first time, Umi had over reacted to one of Kotori's requests.

"She didn't kiss me once... I want my first kiss to go to someone I can trust..." Kotori looked up with gleaming eyes.

"I-I can't do that, Kotori-sama. We cannot cross the line between master and servant!" Umi felt herself slowly getting pushed down by Kotori.

"Umi-chan..." Kotori softly whispered Umi's name and pinned the kunoichi down. The kimono covering her before had fallen off to reveal her developed chest which caused Umi to blush profusely.

"K-Kotori-sama!" Umi cried desperately one last time.

Kotori brought her face closer to Umi's and gently pressed their lips together. All signs of struggle had disappeared from Umi and all the two of them could register was their lips pushing together. They shared a long kiss before Kotori pulled herself back.

"Umi-chan..." she whispered again. Her chest felt tight and unlike the night she spent with Honoka, the kiss she shared with Umi left a burning sensation in her heart. It felt gentle and kind compared to the fear she felt the night before. Kotori wanted to feel this sensation more, she wanted to completely overpower the fear she felt last night with this gentle and kind sensation.

"K-Kotori-sama, can you get off now?" Umi begged.

"Make love to me, Umi-chan..." she whispered.

"...eh?"

"I said make lo-"

"I heard what you said! There's no way I can do that Kotori-sama!" Umi covered her face to hide her obvious blush.

"Please, Umi-chan..."

"N-No! I cannot do th-" Umi's hands were pulled away and she felt Kotori's lips on her's again. This time the kiss was more passionate and lustful, Kotori kept her attack up and used her tongue to invade Umi's mouth, "Koto...ri...sama..!"

"Kotori, are you awake yet?" the door slid open.

"Y-Yeah, I just woke up," Kotori answered. She gripped her kimono tightly to keep it from falling off. Her eyes wandered to the side where Umi had escaped from sight, "I'll be ready in a bit."

The door slid shut and Kotori turned her attention towards Umi. There was an awkward silence after Kotori realized how much control she had lost a few moments ago, "Umi-chan..."

"I must go, your mother and father are waiting..." Umi quickly disappeared and left Kotori alone in her room.

"Please don't leave..." she said weakly. She wanted to curl up and cry, but she had to push herself to get changed for breakfast.

Once she reached the dining hall, she was greeted by a number of servants who surrounded the table. Her mother and father sat at the end of the table and she spotted Umi kneeling down next to her father.

"Kotori, please join us," her father beckoned.

Kotori walked over to her chair and sat on it slowly, she couldn't help but peek over at Umi whenever she had the chance to. After all, if Kotori's father were to find out that the two shared a kiss, Umi would be executed.

"Where is Honoka-sama?" her mother asked.

Kotori heart started racing when she heard the name and thought back to last night, she cleared her throat before speaking, "She... She must have gone home early in the morning."

"I was under the impression that she was still with you in your room," her father showed some concern.

Kotori shrugged, "When I woke up, she wasn't here."

"That's rather strange, isn't it? Isn't she supposed to stay until the morning and leave in the afternoon?" her mother asked to her father.

"Yes, the Kousaka's agreed on this," he answered.

The doors to the dining hall flung open and a small distressed man fell to the floor, "My lord and lady! We are being attacked!"

The family stood up in unison, "What?! Who is attacking us!"

"The Hoshizora and Koizumi family are attacking us from the east and west wall!" he yelled.

"Get our defences up, we'll hold them off until the Kousaka's come to our aid!" her father commanded.

"Sir we have sent a messenger but he hasn't returned yet," he replied.

"Send a homing pigeon!" He yelled back, he turned to face his family, "You two, take shelter in the basement and you," he pointed at Umi, "Protect them with your life."

Umi bowed to her master and quickly led her lady and princess down into the basement for shelter.

"Wait, Father!" Kotori called out.

"Don't worry Kotori, the Kousaka's will come to save us..." he reached for his katana and marched off to command the little army that they had.

Kotori huddled together with her mother as Umi kept her guard up. There may be a war going on, but that doesn't change the fact that the Hoshizora's and the Koizumi's wouldn't send assassins to kill the Lady and Princess.

In her mind, it would be the easiest and most strategic way to get an army to surrender. However, Umi planned to guard the two of them with her life because of her sworn loyalty to the family.

She herded the mother and daughter to a corner and piled a few boxes and barrels to keep the two of them out of sight. She kept herself hidden in the shadows so she could get the jump on anyone who she wasn't familiar with.

The war raged on for several hours, and it was clear that the Minami army was desperately clinging on to a fine thread. The castle grounds were littered with the bodies of dead soldiers who bore the Minami emblem. From both sides of the castle Kotori's father could spot the Hoshizora emblem and the Koizumi emblem.

Their armies showed no signs of fatigue and if the Kousaka's don't show up soon, the Minami family would be done for.

And almost as if it were a timed miracle, the Kousaka emblem could be seen approaching from the north of the castle. Their army much larger and better equipped than the Koizumi and Hoshizora armies combined.

Kotori's father grasped her katana a little tighter, "Thank goodness... We're saved..."

He watched as the Lord of the Kousaka army raised his katana. On command the army of archers raised their bows, took aim and fired. However, the hailstorm of arrows didn't fly towards the Hoshizora's nor the Koizumi's. The arrows rained onto the Minami castle and devastated most if not all of their small army.

"W-What's the meaning of this?!" Kotori's father yelled. He looked onto the castle grounds to see all of his soldiers either dead or too wounded to fight. All that remained was a small group of soldiers that were smart enough to use their dead allies' corpse and himself.

"Raise the flag..." he said in defeat.

"But sir! We can still-"

"Do you really think the 8 of us can defeat 3 armies...?" he replied with no hope.

The soldier flinched and bit his tongue to keep from expressing himself. He quickly ran to the roof of the castle and raised a white flag to signal that they surrendered.

The Minami family had fallen.

* * *

Umi held up her hand to quiet the mother and daughter, "Do you hear that?"

Kotori sniffled, "Hear what? I don't hear anything..."

"Exactly... is the attack over...?" Just as Umi had said that, a loud crashing sound could be heard on the upper floors.

"I thought we had an agreement!" Kotori's father yelled.

"We did... and you broke it," the deep and intimidating voice from Honoka's father could easily be heard through the floorboards.

"What are you talking about?! I allowed for your daughter to have mine!" Kotori's father argued back.

"Then explain this!" Honoka's father gestured to his men and Honoka walked in. She wore a bandage over her eye, "Explain to me how my daughter ended up like this!"

Kotori's father couldn't find the words to say anything back, he hesitated before answering, "I-I have no clue as to how she was injured."

"Your daughter stabbed mine in the eye during her stay here!" Honoka's father yelled.

"What? My daughter would never turn to violence!" He argued back.

"Minami-sama, Kotori-chan attacked me after we slept together. Whether it was an assassination attempt or not..." Honoka explained.

"My daughter is pure of heart! You're the one who corrupted her!" Kotori's father cut Honoka off and stood up but was quickly held down by the Kousaka soldiers. Honoka's father pulled his katana out of it's sheathe and hovered it over Kotori's father's neck.

"The only way to pay for this betrayal is with your lives... where is your wife and daughter?!" he yelled.

Kotori's father laughed, "You'll never find them..."

Honoka's father spat and turned to his soldiers, "Search the entire castle, leave no stone unturned."

Kotori's father giggled as if he had gone mad, "You'll regret betraying the Minami family, Kousaka-sama..."

Umi heard the order and quickly sprang into action, she pulled on a hidden passageway, "Please hurry my lady and princess, there is still time to save you two!" she yelled in a hushed and rushed voice.

"N-No, we can't leave father behind!" Kotori yelled back.

Umi quickly shut Kotori's mouth, "Please stay quiet Kotori-sama, they'll find us..."

Kotori felt a push from behind her and it caused the two of them to stumble into the passage, "My lady!"

"Sonoda-san... please protect my daughter," her mother begged.

Umi stepped forward but Kotori's mother quickly pulled out a small blade, "M-My lady... We can't leave without you..."

"Our daughter is our most important treasure, please, run away and protect her," she begged.

"Mother no! Please come with us, don't leave me alone!" Kotori rushed forward but Umi kept her back with her arm.

"I love you Kotori, but this is the last thing that we can do for you," Kotori mother smiled gently as a few tears rolled down her cheeks.

"My lady, you're coming with us!" Umi stepped forward and grabbed her hand.

She quickly escaped her grasp and pushed Umi, causing her to stumble backwards even further into the hidden path. As soon as Umi recovered, Kotori's mother shut the hidden passage and used her body to keep them from opening it again.

Kotori banged against the stone wall, "Mother! Come with us! Please! Please!" tears rolled down her cheeks and she pounded on the stone wall until her hands were numb and red.

Umi pulled Kotori back and used her hand to cover her mouth.

"So this is where you were hiding..." a voice called out.

"I guess you found me..." Kotori's mother held the blade out to intimidate the individual.

They laughed in response, "Do you really believe that you can defeat a Nishikino kunoichi?"

Kotori's mother remained silent and began her attack, she was easily disarmed and subdued, "Alright, up you go."

Umi and Kotori remained quiet and stayed in place until they heard a thud from above, "Where is the princess?!"

"We couldn't find her, my lord. She must have escaped," a soldier answered.

"No matter... She is nothing without her parents... Present their necks!" Honoka's father raised his katana and the parents were held in place.

"Where is she... is she safe...?" her father whispered over.

"She escaped with Sonoda-san..." she whispered back.

"Thank goodness... Now I can die knowing that my daughter is safe..." he hung his head in acceptance.

"Me too..."

Honoka's father lined up his katana and swung it down, "It looks like we have to turn to the Kira family now..."

Kotori heard two small thuds and was overcome with an unbearable grief. She felt her heart sink and her tears started to stream out. Umi quickly swung Kotori around to face her and hugged her tightly, Kotori cried into Umi's chest, "Mother... Father..."

Umi pet Kotori's head and listened to her sob, "We have to keep moving, Kotori-sama..."

Kotori shook her head but Umi persisted. She lifted Kotori up with her arms and made her way through the secret passage. Kotori kept her face buried against Umi's chest during the walk. It was cold, but Kotori's tears were the only thing that burned.

After an hour of walking, the two women emerged from a hidden cave entrance covered by greenery. Umi looked back to see the castle burning and kept Kotori from turning her head to see what remained of her home.

Umi let a heavy sigh of grief escape her lips before hositing Kotori up to reinforce her hold on the weak girl, "If we travel for a few days, we should be able to meet up with the Toujou Family..."

Kotori wiped her tears away and sniffled, "T-Toujou Family? What about them?"

"The Yazawa Clan serves under them, we should be able to take refuge there..." Umi answered.

Kotori looked down and Umi started walking off without a response. This was the only option they had left if Umi wanted Kotori to live a life her Lord and Lady would have wanted for their daughter.


	2. Chapter 2

After a day of travel, the sun began to set. Being the middle of the fall season, the cold was beginning to creep up on the two girls. Despite her stamina, Umi was exhausted. Her feet were aching from the uneven terrain of the forest, and her arms were sore from carrying Kotori for the entire trip.

She set the princess down gently against a tree to give herself a break, Kotori had been asleep for most of the trip so she was bound to wake up soon.

Umi sat next to her princess and sighed, "... Another two or three days and we'll get there."

She reached into her black keikogi and pulled out a small ocarina that was handed down to her from her father. She began to play it and the beautiful notes echoed through the forest. It was as if everything in the forest had stopped to listen to Umi play her song.

It was a song that her mother had taught her after getting the instrument. It was a peaceful and gentle tune that was unique in itself.

A groan came from beside her, "...Umi-chan...?" Kotori rubbed her eyes and faced the kunoichi.

"Good evening, Kotori-sama," Umi reached to put away her ocarina but was stopped when Kotori grabbed her hand.

"Keep playing..." she commanded.

Umi smiled gently and continued to play the instrument leisurely. Kotori rested her head against Umi's shoulders and closed her eyes. She listened to Umi's song as if it were a lullaby and slowly began to drift into slumber again.

Umi continued to play the ocarina for several more minutes after Kotori had fallen asleep before putting it away. She looked around their surrounding one last time to make sure there were no dangers before she went to sleep herself.

Luckily there seemed to be no signs of life around the two of them. Umi closed her eyes and quickly dozed off.

After a few hours she began to feel extremely cold and felt something push against her. She peeked one of her eyes open to see Kotori who was sitting in her lap. Her vision was still hazy so she couldn't exactly tell what she was doing.

"Umi-chan..." the girl whispered.

Umi felt a soft and warm tingling sensation on her lips. It was wet and something entered into her mouth, making sure to feel every part of her. She quickly opened her eyes to see Kotori's face mere centimeters away from her own.

Kotori slowly fluttered her eyes open to see that Umi was awake and quickly retreated. She let a gasp escape her lips and she looked away.

Umi could barely make out the blush on Kotori's face because of the moonlight shining behind her, "K-Kotori-sama...?"

"This is just a dream," she said unconvincingly.

"It feels awfully real to be one..." Umi replied.

Kotori leaned in closer and pressed her body up against Umi, their bodies warmed each other up against the harsh cold of a fall night. When Umi looked down, she noticed that her keikogi had been undone and her sarashi had been loosened. Her upper body was exposed.

"Kotori-sama, what're you-"

Kotori pressed her finger against Umi's lips to quiet her and leaned in closer, "Hey Umi-chan... Why don't we just run away...?"

"What do you mean? Isn't that what we're doing?"

Kotori shook her head, "I mean... Run to the middle of nowhere... start a new life together... build ourselves a home... have children..."

"We can't have children, Kotori-sama, we're both women," Umi answered.

"I don't care, I just want to run away and take you with me..."

Umi sighed and placed her hand on the princess's back, "We have to make it to the Toujou castle... The Kousaka's will issue a manhunt for the two of us until we're dead..." she noticed the warmth coming from Kotori's back, "Kotori-sama...?"

She looked down to see that her kimono was undone, "Kotori-sama, cover yourself!" Umi scrambled to pull up Kotori's kimono.

"Umi-chan..." she pushed down on Umi's hands and kissed her once again.

"Kotori-sama, we can't..."

"Don't call me Kotori-sama anymore..." Kotori began to become more aggressive as she kissed Umi.

"Koto..ri...sama..." Umi muttered in between kisses.

Kotori attacked Umi's inviting clavicle with her soft and light kisses which caused her to release a muffled moan. Umi tried to push back, but her sore arms wouldn't allow her to.

"Umi-chan... I want you to marry me."

"I-I can't, Kotori-sama..."

Kotori made her way to Umi's ear and whispered, "I'm your only master now, follow my orders..." she kissed and playfully bit on Umi's ear.

"B-but..."

"I order you to be my lover, you belong to me..."

Umi's conflicted expression finally showed signs of giving up and her shoulders slumped, "...Y-Yes... My Lady..."

In an instant, Umi was bombarded by a caged passion from her princess. All reigns were broken and Kotori pushed the kunoichi to the ground. She stripped away Umi's sarashi and tossed it away from the two of them.

Something had awoken inside Kotori and Umi could see that this person in front of her wasn't the pure and innocent princess she had protected her whole life.

Kotori's eyes were filled with passion and lust, a look very similar to the one who defiled and took away Kotori's innocence.

Before she knew it, Umi's keikogi was completely stripped off and laid underneath her spread out like a blanket. She shivered as the cold wind blew against her naked body.

Kotori undid the rest of her kimono and laid on top of Umi, using the kimono as a sort of makeshift blanket to keep them warm. She kissed Umi again and worked her way down her slender body.

Umi wasn't a curvy girl, but what she lacked in curves she made up for in muscle tone. Her strong points where her arms, tummy and legs. Kotori made sure to give them the proper attention that they deserved.

Umi prepared herself for what was to come, she was sore from the day's journey and by the look in Kotori's eyes, she was about to go through some pain.

Kotori lifted Umi's leg and turned her to the side. She began her sexual advances and imitated the same things that Honoka had done to her. She listened to Umi's moans which drove her to want to keep doing more and more.

"K-Kotori-sama, you're hurting me!" Umi cried out. The aching of her sore muscles amplified with each position Kotori put her in. However, Kotori wouldn't listen, it was as if she was possessed by a demon of adultery.

This lasted for about an hour and by the time they were done, Kotori was resting on top of Umi. The both of them panting and sweating from the intense pleasure.

Kotori looked up at Umi and gave her a quick kiss before resting her head on Umi's chest. She quickly passed out and Umi used the last of her strength to wrap her arms around her princess. Her entire body ached from the experience, but it was finally over and she could rest easily. Umi pulled Kotori's kimono over the two of them and hugged Kotori tightly to keep their bodies warm for the night.

* * *

Umi awoke the next morning to an aching pain all over her body, Kotori was still asleep on top of her and there was no signal as to what time of day it was. She sat up and pulled the kimono off of the two of them.

She laid the kimono out and rolled Kotori on top of it so she could get her keikogi off the ground. She stepped over a few meters to pick up her sarashi and carefully wrapped it around her chest until it was snug and tight. She then lifted her keikogi off the ground and pat the dirt of off it before putting it on

Kotori shuffled around in her sleep as Umi changed and slowly opened her eyes. The sunlight stung and she struggled to get used to it. Once her vision was clear, she spotted Umi who had just finished getting dressed.

The two made eye contact and their eyes darted away from each other in a microsecond, both blushing from ear to ear. Umi cleared her throat to break the silence, "You should get dressed, Kotori-sama."

Kotori looked down to see that she was still naked and quickly stood up to put her kimono back on, "T-That's Kotori-chan to you now."

"Yes, of course... Kotori-sama."

Kotori puffed her cheeks, "KO-TO-RI-CHAN!"

"Kotori-sama."

Kotori groaned and slumped her shoulders, "Fine..."

Umi stretched herself in preparation for the next day of travel. It hurt to stretch but she knew that if she stretched before starting the journey again, she could prevent further injury, "Let's hurry to the Toujou Castle..."

"Umi-chan... I want to ru-"

"I told you, we can't do that, Kotori-sama."

"But..."

"Please trust me, Kotori-sama..."

Kotori rested her shoulders and gave up on the subject. Umi grabbed her hand and she looked up, "Can you walk on your own, Kotori-sama?"

"I'll try my best..."

She clung onto Umi's arm and the two of them resumed their journey to the Toujou Castle. Luckily they had the safety of the forest and were hard to spot even if there were roads paved through it. The sound of wildlife was enough to mask their footsteps and they kept low to the ground to avoid being spotted.

It was still daytime so they weren't exactly invisible as Umi would want. The uneven terrain of the forest would prove to be a challenge for poor Kotori, the straps that kept her shoes on had snapped after getting stuck in a mud puddle.

Umi offered her own shoes to her but they were too small for the princess to fit. Kotori had walked barefooted for an hour until she couldn't stand the pain any longer.

"Umi-chan, wait up!" she took a seat on a nearby stump and raised her foot to massage it.

"Move your hands, let me see..."

Kotori hesitantly moved her hands away from her foot to reveal small splinters and bruises on her feet. Umi quickly pulled out a kunai to cut away extra fabric from her keikogi and wrapped it around both of Kotori's feet.

"That should help but..." Umi sighed and turned around. She knelt down and offered her back to her princess, "Kotori-sama, please use my back."

"Umi-chan..." Kotori hesitantly climbed onto Umi's back.

Umi struggled to get Kotori up and her legs shook. Normally she would be able to do this, but Kotori was heavier than her. Her muscles ached as well but the pain wasn't enough to make Umi stop. She would go through the depths of hell for the Minami family.

"Umi-chan, are you okay?" Kotori showed concern for the kunoichi.

"I'm alright, Kotori-sama, just worry about yourself..." Umi took a second to control her breathing and stood strong. It still hurt, but Umi pushed forward for Kotori's sake.

They traveled for several hours through the rough terrain of the forest, making sure to take breaks whenever Umi felt fatigued or if they needed food.

"Umi-chan, I'm hungry..." Kotori said sheepishly.

"Are you?" Umi looked around for any sources of food. The sun seemed to be on its way towards setting, "I don't see anything..."

She set Kotori down next to a tree, "Wait here Kotori-sama."

Umi pulled out two kunai and used them to climb up a tree. Once she reached the top she looked far and wide for any bodies of water that they can get fish from. Luck seemed to be on their side as Umi spotted a small pond that was maybe a 30 minute walk.

She quickly climbed down and offered her back to Kotori again, "There is a pond a little further up north, just hold on a little longer, okay Kotori-sama?"

Kotori nodded and climbed on to Umi's back. She was hoisted up and Umi began walking towards the north.

After a 30 minute walk, they arrived at the edge of a large pond. There were no signs of animal or human life around so Umi set Kotori down nearby, "Kotori-sama, do you know how to start a fire?"

Kotori shook her head.

Umi disappeared into the forest and returned with a substantial amount of twigs and branches that they could use for fire. She set the pile in front of Kotori and handed her a kunai and flint, "Okay, take some grass and hold the flint like this. Then use the kunai to strike it," Umi demonstrated the process and a few sparks flew out when the kunai hit the flint.

"So like... this?" Kotori grabbed the two items out of Umi's hands and imitated what Umi had done. A small spark was produced and Kotori let out a squeal.

Umi placed her hand on the princess's shoulder to calm her down, "You can do it, Kotori-sama, keep trying."

Kotori nodded and tried again. There was a bigger spark but there was still no fire. Kotori kept at it as Umi stood up and grabbed a large branch. She pulled out another kunai and a string to attach it to the end of the branch. It was a crude spear, but it is enough to hunt for fish.

Umi stood over the pond and kept an eye out for any fishes that swam close to the shore while Kotori kept going at the fire.

Umi spotted a small group of fish and quickly thrusted the spear into the water, she was able to get two fishes with one thrust and smiled at her success. She set the impaled fish down by her feet and looked to get at least 2 more. Soon enough Umi had 4 fish under her belt and she returned to Kotori who was still struggling with the fire.

"Umi-chan, this is hard!" Kotori said with a frustrated expression. She recklessly struck the flint with the kunai until a small fire miraculously formed, "Ahh! Umi-chan look! I did it!"

She pointed at the fire in joy and looked at it with so much life in her eyes, Umi smiled and pat the princess's head. She revealed the 4 fish she had caught and Kotori smiled back at her.

Umi used the spear as a way to cook the fish and held them over the fire until they were fully cooked, she brought the fish close to her and picked at them. She pulled a few pieces from the fish and made sure there were no bones to feed to Kotori.

Kotori ate the food happily and let out a satisfied groan, "Foooood..." Umi smiled and fed Kotori three of the fishes.

"Aren't you going to eat too, Umi-chan?" Kotori said with her mouth full.

Umi shook her head, "I'll save the last one for when you get hungry again."

Kotori frowned and puffed her cheeks, "Let me see the fish then."

Umi handed the princess the spear and Kotori held it. She picked at the fish and held it up to Umi's mouth, "Eat."

"Kotori-sama..."

Kotori pushed it against Umi's lips, "Eat."

Umi reluctantly opened her mouth and Kotori pushed the fish in. Umi chewed slowly, "Okay, that's enough food for me, Kotori-sama."

Kotori shook her head and continued to feed Umi, "Not until you finish this fish…"

Umi complained after every bite but eventually Kotori got her to eat the entire fish, "Better?"

Umi nodded, "Yes… Thank you Kotori-sama…"

Kotori smiled and tossed the spear to the side, she stretched out and yawned, "How much further until we reach the Toujou Castle?"

Umi crawled over to get the spear, "Maybe one more day of travel," she thought about it in her head for a few moments before nodding to show that she was sure about her estimate.

Kotori breathed a sigh of relief and leaned back against the tree, "I'll be glad to be off my feet when we get there..."

Umi stood up with the spear in hand, "I'll catch some more fish for the journey tomorrow, you can rest, Kotori-sama."

Kotori shook her head, "I'll wait for you to finish."

"My lady... You don't have to do that for me," Umi knelt down next to the princess and bowed.

"It's okay Umi-chan, I'm not that tired yet anyways," she lifted the kunoichi's chin up to have their eyes meet.

Umi quickly bolted her eyes away from the ash haired girl and cleared her throat, "Anyways, 3 or 4 should be enough for the trip," she quickly got up and made her way to the edge of the pond.

Kotori watched Umi's back shrink smaller as the distance between them grew, "Don't fall in, Umi-chan!" she yelled.

Umi threw a thumbs up and focused on trying to pick out the fish shrouded in darkness. It was hard to see but the slightly darker shadows in the water gave away their position.

Umi caught another 4 fish slower than she normally would and made her way back to the campfire. Kotori had nodded off and her head hung to the side, "You're such a liar, Kotori-sama..."

She smiled gently and took a seat next to the sleeping princess. She held out the fish to cook and her vision began to blur. Her head gently throbbed and slowly became more violent. She decided on just shaking it off and focusing on cooking the fish.

It was still cold even with the fire close to them. However when she hugged her knees against her chest, she broke out in a cold sweat. Before she realized it, she had blacked out.

* * *

Kotori awoke the next morning to see that she was resting her head against what seemed to be Umi's hip. She lifted herself up to see the kunoichi still asleep on the ground.

Kotori rubbed her eyes and looked around to see that the fire had long since died down and was reduced to ash. She spotted some tails poking out of the ash and pulled on them to reveal burnt fish, "They're burned...? Did Umi fall asleep while cooking them?"

She looked over at the girl and shook her from the hip, "Hey Umi-chan, the fish is burned. We need to catch some new ones for the road."

Umi remained motionless, "Umi-chan?" Kotori crawled closer to Umi's face.

She looked to be in pain, she slept with her brow furrowed and her breathing was heavy. Kotori could see small beads of sweat slowly rolling off of Umi's forehead and noticed a small shiver.

"Umi-chan!" Kotori shook her once again and she finally opened her eyes slowly.

"Kotori...sama...?" her voice cracked and her throat was dry.

"Umi-chan, are you okay?!"

She nodded weakly in response and replied with the same dry and raspy voice, "I'm alright... Just need a little water..." she attempted to sit up but her body wouldn't allow it.

"Umi-chan..."

"I'm okay, Kotori-sama... I can keep... moving on..." Umi was able to flip herself over onto her stomach and push herself up enough into a crawling position. She trudged forward a few feet before her arms gave out and fell to the ground.

Her breathing was heavy and her heart raced as if she had just ran a mile with heavy equipment on. Kotori quickly rushed over and flipped Umi onto her back so she could breathe properly, "Umi-chan, you can't move like this..." she pressed their foreheads together to check Umi's temperature.

"You're burning up!"

Umi coughed frantically and groaned in response, "What great timing... to get ill..."

Kotori looked around frantically, "What should I do, Umi-chan?"

"Some water... would be great..." she pointed to her pocket and Kotori reached inside to pull out a small container. It was empty, but the pond should be enough to quench Umi's thirst. She trotted to the edge of the pond and dunked the container into the water. It speedily filled up and Kotori returned to offer Umi a drink.

"Wait... you have to boil it first..."

"What? Why?" Kotori quickly pulled the container back in fear.

"We don't know... what's been in the water... it can make my condition worse..."

Kotori nodded slowly, "That makes a lot of sense... Please wait here, Umi-chan. I'm going to start another fire."

Kotori disappeared from Umi's sight which left her uneasy. Her princess was vulnerable to all kinds of attack and she was unfit to protect her in this condition.

After a few minutes, she heard the sound of sticks and twigs slamming against each other and she lifted her head up to see Kotori a few feet away from her. This time she started the fire on her first try and she looked around for something to keep the container from falling into the fire.

"Hmm..."

"Kotori...sama..." Umi called out.

"What is it?" Kotori crawled over to Umi's side and was presented with a string.

"Tie that on... to the neck of the container... then swing it over the branch... so you can hover it... over the fire..." Umi coughed after the long explanation and Kotori did as she was told.

It took her a few tries but after the 6th attempt, the container was hanging and pulling up or down would determine the heat level on the container.

After several minutes had passed, Kotori could see the container vibrating violently and she lifted it high enough so that it wouldn't be affected by the heat. She allowed for it to cool down by using her kimono as oven mitts to close the container.

Afterwards she made her way towards the shore and dipped the container into the pond. This would help cool it down quicker than normal. Once it was cool enough to drink, she returned to Umi and helped her get the water down.

"Thank you, Kotori-sama..."

She nodded in response and continued to supply water to Umi until the container was empty.

"What should I do next, Umi-chan?"

"Start boiling more water, then look for some herbs around here..." she replied.

Kotori frowned, "I don't know anything about herbs..."

"That's okay, as long as you gather them and show them to me, I'll tell you which ones to use."

Kotori returned Umi's instructions with a strong nod and began to fulfill her orders. She drove a branch into the ground and tied the string onto it to keep the container hanging in place while she wandered off to gather all kinds of herbs she could find.

* * *

10 minutes passed and Kotori heard a rustling sound off in the distance. She lowered herself to the ground and heard a distant conversation going on.

"Are you sure we should check on that smoke?"

"They could have something valuable if they're hiding out this deep in the forest."

"And what if they don't?"

"Then we kill them, plain and simple."

Kotori stuffed the herbs into her kimono and quickly trotted off to where Umi was. If she was quick enough she could get the two of them out of sight.

When she got to Umi, the voices were dangerously close by. Without thinking she took a deep breath and jumped into the pond with Umi. She locked lips with the kunoichi to share the air that she breathed earlier but this would last them a few minutes at best.

"The camp is empty, boss."

"The fire is still burning, they'll be back soon."

"What's this container?"

"Looks like they were boiling water from the pond..."

"We should hide for now, ambush them when they return."

Kotori shook her head unconsciously as she heard the muffled conversations above water. She took that as a sign to abandon everything and move on. She carefully parted lips from Umi and swam high enough to poke her mouth out for more air without getting seen.

She swam back down and locked lips with Umi again to give her more air before she started treading towards the other end of the pond. Every few minutes Kotori would surface to breathe in more air for the two of them. Eventually they reached the other end of the pond and were well out of sight from the bandits.

She surfaced and pulled herself out of the pond then reached down to pull Umi up. It was difficult but Kotori was able to get the kunoichi onto shore despite how weak she was compared to Umi.

Kotori laid Umi on her back and tapped her cheeks lightly, "Umi-chan? Hey Umi-chan, wake up!" she tapped harder until Umi's eyes opened.

"Kotori-sama...?"

"Umi-chan, we have to go, can you get up?"

Umi went into a coughing fit, "I... I can try..." she attempted to sit up but her body wouldn't allow it.

"This isn't good... Our camp was raided by bandits."

Umi used all of her strength to sit up, "Did they hurt you, Kotori-sama?"

"No, I threw us into the pond and swam to this end of the shore to get us away..."

Umi looked out at the pond which may have stretched for a good 200 yards, "How did you do it, Kotori-sama?'

"Well... Since you were asleep, we had to share air somehow and..." she unconsciously touched her lips and Umi received the message clearly.

She blushed and touched her own lips, "... Thank you for saving my life, Kotori-sama..."

"A-Anyways, we need to keep moving before they find us."

"That would be wonderful... but Kotori-sama, are you sure you can carry me?"

Kotori wore a worried expression, "M-Maybe..."

Kotori crawled over and offered her back to Umi, she struggled to climb on but once Kotori got a good grip she tried to stand up. Umi was too heavy for her even though she was lighter than herself, "Kotori-sama, you don't have to do this..."

"Just give me... a few more tries," Kotori struggled against a losing fight and ultimately gave up.

"Kotori-sama... Go ahead without me..."

"What? No way, I can't leave you behind!"

"I can hide from the bandits and once I'm all better I'll catch up with you."

"No! You promised my mother and father that you would protect me, don't leave me alone!"

"Kotori-sama, I can't move in this condition..."

"Then... Then we'll find a way!"

"It'll be too late, the bandits will find us..."

"Umi-chan!" Kotori slapped the kunoichi across the cheek and a horrified gasp followed right after, "I-I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to..."

Umi turned to face Kotori again with a gentle expression, "It's okay, Kotori-sama... It's normal for a master to discipline their servant..."

"No, no! I'm so sorry," Kotori hugged onto Umi and kissed the cheek that she slapped in hopes to somehow ease the pain.

"Kotori-sama, you must leave without me."

"No."

"This is all I can do to protect you..."

"No!"

"Kotori-sama, please listen..."

"No! If you die, Umi-chan, then I'm going to be left all alone in this world! If that happens then I would rather die by your side!"

Umi felt warm tears fall onto her cheeks as they fell from Kotori's eyes. It seemed like Umi wouldn't be able to convince the one person she had sworn to protect with her life to continue on and live another day.

"Kotori-sama..."

"W-We'll hide somewhere until they leave, please... We can do anything just... Don't leave me..."

Umi sighed and reached up to wipe away the princess's tears, "...Okay, Kotori-sama... Help me up..."

Kotori wiped away the rest of her tears and offered Umi her shoulder.

"Let's hide by that large bush... it should cover us for a while."

Kotori nodded and dragged Umi along towards the bush, after a few minutes, they reached their destination and set Umi down.

"Did you manage to grab any herbs, Kotori-sama?"

She dug into her kimono to pull out a handful of wet vegetation, "This is all I managed to scrounge up before I heard the bandits..."

Umi spotted a particular herb and her eyes lit up, "This is Ginseng, how did you find this out here?"

"Oh, I just found it sticking out somewhere, I picked up whatever I could, what does it do?"

"It doesn't exactly eliminate my illness but... It should give me a huge energy boost and help me just a little bit," Umi answered.

She took a bite of the root and chewed on it, making sure to grind it up with her teeth. It was bitter but it wasn't as bitter as some of the other herbs she had before. It also had a strange sweetness to it kind of like a carrot.

She felt a small energy boost and smiled, "Thank you Kotori-sama, you saved my life once again..."

"Can you move now?"

"Just a little bit, we might be able to get far enough from the bandits..."

"Okay I'll help you then," Kotori offered her shoulder to Umi again and the two of them were able to walk quite a distance before Umi would take a break.

The ginseng definitely helped, but it wasn't going to fix Umi's illness that easily. She needed proper herbs to create a cold remedy for curing herself.

After an hour of travel, the ginseng root was nearly gone and the effects of it were starting to ware off. Umi took more breaks compared to an hour ago and it slowed the two of them down even more.

"This is the last of the ginseng..." Umi chewed the last bit but no effect came afterwards. Her body had adjusted to the herb and now it had little effect on her.

"Umi-chan?"

"I'm sorry, Kotori-sama... this is as far as we can go..." Umi lowered herself down to take a seat against a tree with Kotori next to her.

"It's okay Umi-chan, I think we lost the bandits a long time ago," Kotori looked around to make sure the coast was clear. There was no one in sight and no voices to be heard.

Kotori took a deep breath and massaged her feet, "We traveled for maybe an hour, there's no way they would follow us for this long right?"

"Just keep an eye out, Kotori-sama..." Umi breathed heavily and wiped the sweat off her forehead. Even with her aching body, she was able to push on just enough to get to safety. She started to feel her eyes growing heavy and fought to stay awake.

Unfortunately, she lost the battle against herself and she slumped against Kotori's shoulder, "...Umi-chan...?"

Kotori glanced down at the kunoichi. Her chest bobbed up and down rhythmically and she seemed to be a little more peaceful compared to the morning.

Kotori gently lifted up Umi's face and pressed their foreheads together. Umi's fever had gone down slightly, but it was still a high temperature, "At least she's a little better..."

She rested her head against Umi's and closed her eyes as well, before she knew it the fatigue from today had caught up to her and she quickly drifted into slumber.

* * *

Kotori dreamed of pleasant things, a nice and happy future. She lived in a newly built home hidden away in the countryside. Next to her was Umi who finally addressed her not as a master, but as her lover. The joy on their faces reflected a lot when they saw two children running around the living room. They were twins and she clutched onto Umi's hand a little tighter.

Her eyes fluttered open as a pleasant song played next to her. When she glanced to her right she saw Umi playing the ocarina once again, it was the same song as before. She leaned against Umi which caused the performance to stop for a second before it continued on.

Kotori closed her eyes and listened to Umi's song, it was about the time for the sun to set now. A rustling noise echoed across the forest and the music quickly came to a stop.

Kotori opened her eyes to see Umi holding her and keeping a hand over her mouth. What was going on?

"Are you sure they came this way, boss?"

"Yeah, I heard some music just now..."

"Why are we even chasing these people?"

"You idiots, did you see the spear and the container at the camp?"

"Yeah what about them?"

"That kunai is something a ninja uses, and that container had small engravings on it."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"The symbol carved into that container... I thought they were wiped out..."

"Who?"

"The Sonoda Clan."

"Hey hey, don't start getting paranoid on me here..."

"That was the Sonoda marking, a legendary clan that practiced ninjutsu."

"They were wiped before this war even began, boss."

"I heard rumors that one of them survived... and was serving under the Minami family."

"You mean that pretty woman we've been seeing on posters lately?"

"Yeah... 1 million yen for Princess Minami."

"And we're chasing whoever it was at the campsite because it could be her?"

"Yeah, now quiet down. We don't know if it's true yet, but she may have a Sonoda guarding her as we speak..."

Umi's grip tightened slightly and Kotori found it a little hard to breathe. If they weren't quiet enough, they would be found so Kotori tried her best to control her breathing and be as silent as possible.

The sound of snapping twigs and leaves being kicked echoed around them. It was hard to make out where the bandits were, but it was certain that they were close.

Umi cursed herself for getting carried away and playing her ocarina. The noises came to a stop and Kotori closed her eyes, they were right behind the tree they were hiding at.

Kotori held her breath and so did Umi. The noise started up again and it seemed like it was headed for a different direction. Umi let out a quiet sigh and let go of Kotori's mouth. She did the same and sighed along.

"Well well, looks like my intuition was on the spot."

Umi's eyes widened and she reached in for her spare kunai. The sudden adrenaline rush was enough for her to scramble to her feet and lunge at the man in front of them.

He dodged her easily and chopped down at the back of her neck. She felt herself black out for a moment before waking up again from the fall.

"This is supposed to be a legend?"

Umi swore under her breath. If she was in full health, she could have easily defeated this man. Unfortunately she was sickly and her body ached from all of the travel.

"Hey boys! I found them!"

Three other men rushed over and surrounded Kotori so she wouldn't escape.

"We're going to be rich..." he walked over to Umi and pulled on her hair until she was up on her feet. He wrapped his arm around Umi's neck into a chokehold, "You know... For a Sonoda you're pretty cute."

"Let... go of me..." Umi gasped.

"Hey boss, I've never done a princess before."

"Hey, me too!"

"Hold on boys, I'll let you play with her soon enough. Let's take care of this one here first," He tightened his grip around Umi's neck and used his hand to reach into her keikogi.

She felt a strong squeeze on her breast and a moan escaped her lips.

"Woah, that was cute!" one of the men yelled.

"Let me have some of her, boss!"

The men rushed forward and stripped Umi of her keikogi, all that remained was her sarashi and panties.

The men whistled as they marveled at Umi's body.

"She might not have huge breasts or a nice ass but damn is her body nice..."

"I'm practically drooling over here..."

Kotori noticed the ocarina fall onto the floor and she reached for it.

"You perverts stay away from Umi-chan!"

"Kotori-sama, please look away..."

Umi felt a sharp pain puncture her pelvis and she yelped in pain.

"No... Umi-chan..." Kotori watched in disbelief as the woman she loved was violated in front of her.

"Ahhh, damn she is tight!"

"Kotori... sama... blow on... the... ahhh~" Umi was cut off.

"B-blow...?" She looked down at the ocarina in her hand and understood what Umi said. She took a deep breath and blew into it as hard as she could. It produced a unique but screeching sound that caused the men to writhe in pain as they held their ears.

Kotori stopped to take another deep breath before blowing into it again.

"Would you do something about that girl?!" one of the men yelled.

Kotori blew into it again until it was knocked out of her hands.

"I have something else for you to blow, princess!"

Kotori retreated in fear until her back hit against a tree.

In the blink of an eye, the four strong and healthy men dropped to the ground and four shadowed figures took their places.

"You must be getting rusty to have to call for us" the tallest one said.

Umi struggled to her feet and grabbed her keikogi. The pain still lingered from being violated.

"What happened to the legendary Sonoda?"

"Thank you, Nico..."

The tallest one removed her face mask to reveal her face, the other shadowed figures did as well.

"Hey Kokoro, Kokoa, Kotarou," Umi greeted.

They bowed in response.

Kotori stood up and helped Umi cover herself, "Umi-chan? Who are these people?"

"The Yazawa Clan."


End file.
